Photograph by Ed Pollard, Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II digital slr-2009.

Funeral Box for an Ichneumon

Artist Unknown

CultureEgyptian

DateLate Period - Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.E.

MediumBronze

DimensionsOverall: 3 x 6 1/2 x 2 in. (7.6 x 16.5 x 5.1 cm)

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.2217.12

Collections

Ancient Mediterranean Art

On View

Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 109

DescriptionLong rectangular box topped by an animal figurine. This creature standing on four legs has a long snout and tail, and short ears. The box is opened on the small side under the animal's tail; it is hollow and empty.

Label TextFuneral Box for an Ichneumon Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.E. Bronze Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2217.12 The ichneumon, or African mongoose, was prized by the ancient Egyptians for its skill at killing snakes. As such, it was associated with deities empowered to fight snakes and other evil forces, and specifically with the sun god Re, who battled the great serpent demon, Apophis, on his nightly journey through the underworld. During the Late and Ptolemaic periods, animals were raised by temple priests to be mummified, placed in funeral boxes, and offered to the gods to call forth their power and favor. This bronze box served to contain the mummy of an ichneumon and would have been placed either in a temple devoted to Re or another appropriate deity or in an animal necropolis sacred to the god. Exhibition History"The Allure of Ancient Egypt," Selden Arcade, Norfolk, VA, June 18 - August 17, 2013.